The Vághy String Quartet is a Canadian string quartet known for its luscious and emotional sound, as talked about by the New York Times, as well as for its numerous performances throughout North America and Europe. Formed in 1965, the quartet has played and premiered many composers. It has also recorded many classical pieces, having a total repertoire of over 160 pieces. The quartet taught throughout Canada and won the 1977
Canadian Music Council award for best recording of the year.
Members
Formed in 1965 by Dezsö Vághy (Violin), Tibor Vághy (Viola), Stephen Kecskeméthy (Second violin), and Edward Culbreath (Cello) at the
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...
, the Vághy String Quartet was unchanged until 1969. That year David George and Robert Dodson, both Americans, took over as second violin and cello, respectively. In 1981, David George was replaced by Alanna Deptuch Vághy, a pupil of, and later married to, Dezsö Vághy, and Robert Dodson was replaced by Julian Tryczynski.
Brothers Dezsö Vághy and Tibor Vághy received their early musical training in Hungary with Ilona Halasz in Budapest,
Austria, and Germany. Both graduated from the Hamburg State Academy of Music with master's degrees
and subsequently studied at the
Juilliard School of Music
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
with
Dorothy DeLay
Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati.
Life
Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medicine Lodg ...
.
David George studied violin in the mid-west at the
Friends University in Wichita, the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
, and the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
.
Robert Dodson started out his musical training in New York City, attended
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
and the
New England Conservatory of Music, and is a graduate of
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
.
He now resides as the Director of the Division of Music at
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
. Alanna Deptuch Vághy studied with Elman Lowe, and later with Howard-Leyton-Brown at the
Regina Conservatory of Music, then continued her studies at
Queens University Queen's or Queens University may refer to:
*Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada
*Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
**Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950)
**Queen's University of Belfast ...
and the
Meadowmount School of Music
The Meadowmount School of Music, founded in 1944 by Ivan Galamian, is a 7-week summer school in the town of Lewis (mailing address Westport) in Upstate New York for accomplished young violinists, cellists, violists, and pianists training for prof ...
.
Stephen Kecskeméthy graduated from the
Eastman school of Music
The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman.
It offers Bachelor of Music (B.M ...
.
History
The Vághy String Quartet (sometimes shortened to VSQ) was formed in 1965 at the
Juilliard School of Music
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
. It was formed by Dezsö and Tibor Vághy, two Hungarian brothers, who were joined by Stephen Kecskeméthy and Edward Culbreath. Originally a violinist, Tibor became the viola of the quartet. Stephen Kecskeméthy was the second violin and Edward Culbreath was the cello. The group was coached by the
Juilliard, Amadeus, and Hungarian quartets. It was appointed quartet-in-residence at the Westchester Music and Art Camp in the summer of 1966, then appointed the quartet-in-residence at the
University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
later in 1966, a position that it held until 1968.
Its first appearance in Canada was at
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...
of 1967.
It came to
Queen's University Queen's or Queens University may refer to:
*Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada
*Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
**Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950)
**Queen's University of Belfast ...
in 1968, sponsored by the Ontario council for the arts, the university, and the Kingston symphony, and stayed there until 1991, holding the position of quartet-in-residence.
The quartet performed all around the campus and throughout Kingston, playing both normal concerts and so-called "anticoncerts," which were informal concerts with explanations and discussions of the music mixed in.
The quartet performed throughout Canada and the rest of North America, performing at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
and
Avery Fisher Hall as well as many others halls, and on radio (such as
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
) and television. The quartet also performed live and on recording throughout Europe, as well as at the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...
, premiering several works.
Their repertoire included
Bartók,
Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...
,
Szymanowski,
Ravel, and
Janáček, among other 20th-century composers. The quartet premiered several works as well: John Fodi's Quartet for Strings 'Ch'ien' and Paul Crawford's String Quartet: 'La nuit étoilée' in 1974; James Montgomery's Reconnaissance in 1975; Graham George's Fuguing Music for String Quartet, James Kent's Cadenza String Quartet, and Norman Sherman's Quadron in 1976; William Wallace's Quartet for Strings in 1983; and Healey Willan's Introduction and Allegro (completed by F.R.C. Clarke) in 1984.
The Vághy Quartet performed the works of Canadian composers as well, such as Barnes, Glick, Hétu, Joachim, Koprowski and Somers.
The quartet has attended musical festivals in many places, including Aspen, Colorado, Maine, Lancut, and Poland.
[The Vághy String Quartet, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. David Quinney, 1977.]
The quartet taught at the Kelso Music Centre during the summers of 1975–1977, as well as at the Chamber Music Institute in 1978-1980 (which the quartet founded). It was praised very highly throughout its career for its sound. As one essay says, "Its sound has never been understated; it is vigorous and powerful, the players often seeming to push their instruments to the limit."
This can be heard best on the quartet's recording of Bartók's String Quartet No. 4 (recorded on CBC SM 325 in 1976) with its full chords, heavily accented dissonances and pounding ostinati.
After the quartet's New York debut on March 2, 1975, Peter G. Davis in the New York Times (9 Mar 1975) praised a 'large, lush, glamorous ensemble tone... used... to excellent effect.'
Other critics have found them to be "Superb" in Chicago, "marvelously sensitive" in Washington, an "outstanding ensemble" in Montreal, "hard to excel" in Phoenix, and "fine virtuoso musicians" in little rock.
There was also a film made about the quartet, entitled Vaghy, which was created in 1971 by Quarry Film Production. The quartet won the 1977
Canadian Music Council award for the best chamber music record for its recording of
Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...
's and
Szymanowski's quartets,
and was nominated for the prestigious Grand Prix award.
References
*Ontario Arts Council, Vaghy Quartet, ''Vaghy'', Quarry Film Production, 1971, film.
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Canadian string quartets